Cocaine, particularly crack, represents the most serious drug threat to
the District. Cocaine abuse is associated with more drug treatment
admissions to publicly funded facilities, emergency department mentions,
and deaths than is abuse of any other drug. Cocaine is readily available
and relatively inexpensive. Approximately 75 percent of all federal drug
sentences in D.C. are crack-related, and about 9 percent are powdered
cocaine-related. Additionally, most Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task
Force (OCDETF) investigations are cocaine-related. Colombia-based drug
trafficking organizations are the primary sources supplying D.C.-based
criminal groups, frequently Colombian and Dominican, with wholesale
quantities of cocaine. These criminal groups and other less dominant
groups supply local neighborhood-based crews, typically African American
or to a much lesser extent Hispanic, with smaller quantities of powdered
and crack cocaine. The crews usually distribute the cocaine at open-air
markets. Retail distribution networks are well-established in
neighborhoods, public housing projects, and on street corners.

Treatment admissions indicate that cocaine is the drug most commonly
abused in D.C. The District had more drug treatment admissions to publicly
funded facilities for cocaine abuse than for any other drug from 1994
through 1999, and that number increased approximately 510 percent from 363
in 1996 to 2,225 in 1999, according to TEDS data.

Cocaine abuse is more commonly associated with emergency department
(ED) mentions in D.C. than is abuse of any other drug. The District had
more ED mentions for cocaine abuse than for any other drug from 1995 to
2000, according to DAWN. The number of cocaine ED mentions in D.C.
fluctuated during that period but declined significantly from 3,542 in
1995 to 2,830 in 2000. In 2000 the District ranked eleventh among the 21
metropolitan areas reporting to DAWN in the total number of cocaine ED
mentions, compared with tenth in 1993. The District kept a similar ranking
because the number of ED mentions decreased in many other metropolitan
areas as well.

Cocaine was the drug most commonly mentioned in drug-related deaths in
D.C. in 1999. According to DAWN ME data, the District had 106
cocaine-related deaths in 1999, which accounted for 44 percent of the
total drug-related deaths that year. D.C. was one of 13 metropolitan areas
reporting to DAWN in which cocaine was mentioned more than any other drug.

Cocaine was the drug most frequently detected among adult male
arrestees who were tested for drug abuse in D.C. in 1999. Approximately 38
percent of adult male arrestees who were tested for drug abuse in D.C.
tested positive for cocaine abuse in 1999, according to the Arrestee Drug
Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program. (Data were not reported for female
arrestees in 1999.) Approximately 44 percent of Caucasian arrestees and 38
percent of African American arrestees who were tested for drug abuse
tested positive for cocaine abuse. Over 60 percent of arrestees over 36
years of age who were tested for drug abuse tested positive for cocaine
abuse.

Abuse of cocaine among youth in D.C. is lower than the national average
percentage. According to the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2.8 percent
of D.C. high school students surveyed reported that they had abused
cocaine in their lifetime, compared with the national average of 9.5
percent. Additionally, 1.3 percent of the students surveyed in D.C. in
1999 reported that they were current abusers (used cocaine at least once
in the last 30 days), compared with 4 percent nationwide.

Powdered cocaine is commonly abused at nightclubs and bars, while crack
is primarily abused in low-income, inner-city housing projects. Many
white-collar professionals reportedly purchase powdered cocaine for
personal use at nightclubs, bars, and offices, particularly in Georgetown.
Crack is commonly purchased at open-air markets and housing projects.

Investigative data indicate that cocaine is readily available in D.C.
According to Federal-wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS) data from fiscal year
(FY) 1995 through FY2000, the quantity of cocaine seized in D.C. peaked in
FY1996 at 58.5 kilograms. Additionally, in response to the NDIC National
Drug Threat Survey 2001, the U.S. Park Police reported seizures of
approximately 9 grams of powdered cocaine and approximately 11 kilograms
of crack in D.C. in 1999. The U.S. Park Police seized approximately 221
grams of powdered cocaine and 1.9 kilograms of crack in 2000. From October
1998 to June 2001, 30 of the 37 OCDETF investigations in D.C. were related
to crack or powdered cocaine, more than any other drug. (OCDETF
investigations often involve more than one illegal drug.)

Table 3. Cocaine
Seizures in Kilograms, District of Columbia, FY1995-FY2000

FY

Seizures

1995

33.7

1996

58.5

1997

39.8

1998

27.8

1999

23.3

2000

32.0

Source: DEA, Federal-wide Drug
Seizure System.

Wholesale prices for both powdered and crack cocaine in FY2001 indicate
that both drug forms were readily available. According to the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division and the Middle
Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network (MAGLOCLEN),
kilogram prices for powdered cocaine ranged from $16,500 to $35,000 in
FY2001, while kilogram prices for crack were approximately $35,000.
However, kilogram quantities of crack are rarely distributed in D.C.
Generally, higher purity cocaine will result in a higher price. In FY2001
ounce quantities of powdered cocaine sold for $900 to $1,250 and an ounce
of crack sold for $1,000 to $1,300. A gram of powdered cocaine sold for
$50 to $100 in D.C., while a gram of crack sold for $80 to $100.

The purity of powdered and crack cocaine varies in the District and
depends on the level of distribution. Wholesale purity levels have
historically been high--indicating that the drug is not cut with
adulterants or diluents. The Metropolitan Police Department and the DEA
Washington Division report that cocaine purity is frequently at the high
level--80 to 95 percent--for wholesale distribution. According to the DEA
Washington Division, the purity of cocaine distributed at various levels
in D.C. ranges from 19 to 95 percent for powdered cocaine and from 30 to
81 percent for crack. (Average purity levels are not calculated.)

Distributors and abusers of cocaine, particularly crack, frequently
engage in violent crimes in the District. D.C. has the highest homicide
rate of any city or state in the country, and many of those homicides are
directly linked to territorial violence associated with crack distribution
at open-air markets. Open-air drug markets are sometimes two to three
blocks in size, and distributors are often violent when protecting their
turf from rival crews attempting to take over their markets. In 1999
almost 27 percent of adult males arrested for assaults and tested for drug
abuse tested positive for cocaine abuse, according to ADAM data. DEA, the
Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C.
report that retail-level crack distributors often commit drive-by
shootings, drug-related homicides, rip-offs (stealing drugs from other
distributors), thefts, assaults, and are involved in black-market weapons
distribution. In June 2000 the DEA Washington Division in cooperation with
members of the Westmoreland, King George, Charles, and Prince George's
County Sheriffs' Departments, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development arrested 15 individuals
for distributing cocaine and committing violent crimes in D.C.

The Metropolitan Police Department reports that the availability of
automatic weapons and crack is partially responsible for the high level of
violence in the District. For example, in December 2000 D.C. and Prince
George's County law enforcement officials arrested 22 individuals for
distributing cocaine and marijuana along Georgia Avenue (parts of US 29
coincide with Georgia Avenue) and seized 11 firearms including 2 assault
rifles. Law enforcement officials also seized over 2 pounds of crack,
approximately a pound of powdered cocaine, a half-pound of marijuana, and
approximately $20,000 in cash.

Forty-two crews reportedly distribute cocaine, often in combination
with other drugs, and most engage in violent crimes. (See text
box in Overview section.) According to the NDIC National Gang Survey
2000, the most violent crews that distribute cocaine are La Mara R,
Langston Crew, Rock Creek Church Crew, 1-7 Crew, and the 1-5 Mob. The
alleged leader of the 1-5 Mob is currently being tried for conspiracy,
racketeering, powdered and crack cocaine and heroin distribution, and 14
murders. If convicted, he could receive the death penalty; the last death
penalty conviction in D.C. was in 1972.

Drug Kingpin Convicted for Cocaine
Smuggling

In July 2001 a federal judge in Alexandria sentenced a Miami
man to two life terms without parole for importing cocaine by
the ton from Panama through Florida to D.C. and for committing
numerous murders, including the asphyxiation death of another
drug dealer in 1991. One witness testified that the drug kingpin
had also shot and killed two Dominican drug dealers in New York
City while robbing them of 11 pounds of cocaine.

Coca is not cultivated nor is cocaine produced in the District. Most
cocaine consumed in the world is produced in South America. Most cocaine
shipped to the United States transits the Mexico-Central America corridor.
Most of the remainder is smuggled through the Caribbean corridor.
Colombian DTOs produce most of the cocaine smuggled to the District.

Most of the crack sold in D.C. is converted from powdered cocaine in
the District. Distributors are aware that federal sentences for
distribution or possession of crack are lengthier than for powdered
cocaine. Consequently, they convert powder into crack in small quantities
only as needed. Some powdered cocaine is converted to crack in
distribution centers such as New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, and Los
Angeles before it is transported to the District.

Cocaine distributed in D.C. is usually smuggled from Colombia to the
distribution centers of New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, and Los
Angeles before being transported to D.C. in automobiles that are
frequently equipped with hidden compartments. Trains, airplanes, buses,
and express mail services are also used. Some cocaine is then transported
from D.C. to Virginia, North and South Carolina, and possibly other
locations using many of the same modes. Interstate 95, which connects New
York City and Miami, is the primary highway used to smuggle cocaine and
other drugs to and from the District.

Cocaine Concealed in Hidden Compartments

In April 2001 the Federal Bureau of Investigation provided
Frederick County, Maryland, officials with information that led
to the seizure of 39 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated
value of $4 million. The cocaine, hidden in a minivan that had
departed from California, was destined for distribution in D.C.
The drugs, wrapped in 33 plastic packets and smothered in
automotive grease and baby wipes, were under a false floor.

Source: The Washington
Post, 13 April 2001.

In 2001 DEA seized 33 kilograms of cocaine in Pope
County, Arkansas, in a sport utility vehicle. The cocaine was
hidden under a raised floor in the rear of the vehicle in a
compartment that could be accessed only through the rear bumper.
The cocaine had been transported from California and had been
destined for distribution in the District.

Source: DEA
Washington Field Division, Quarterly Trends in the Traffic,
FY2001, Second Quarter.

Colombian and Dominican criminal groups are the dominant cocaine
transporters to D.C.; however, African American, Caucasian, and other
Hispanic criminal groups also transport cocaine to the District. These
groups typically smuggle cocaine in private and commercial automobiles
equipped with hidden compartments, according to the DEA Washington
Division. Colombian criminal groups generally transport larger quantities
of cocaine (10 to 20 kilograms) than do Dominican criminal groups that
usually transport between a half and a full kilogram. The U.S. Park
Police, in response to the NDIC National Drug Threat Survey 2001, reported
that Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American criminal groups are the
primary transporters of cocaine to the District. The DEA Washington
Division and the U.S. Park Police reported that most of the cocaine
available for distribution in D.C. is transported from New York City or
Philadelphia.

Cocaine is frequently transported to D.C. using express mail services.
For example, in March 2000 federal and local law enforcement officials in
D.C. arrested two individuals and seized 3.7 kilograms of cocaine in a
package mailed from California to Southeast D.C.

Transporters use commercial aircraft to transport cocaine to the D.C.
area. According to El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) seizure statistics,
law enforcement officials seized 109 kilograms of cocaine in D.C. in 1995,
26 kilograms in 1996, 7 kilograms in 1997, 1 kilogram in 1998, and none in
1999. All of the cocaine was transported using commercial airlines. (EPIC
seizure reports for D.C. include seizures at Washington Dulles
International and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports in Virginia.)
According to Operation JETWAY data, law enforcement officials seized 13.5
kilograms of cocaine in four seizures in 2000; all of the cocaine was
destined for distribution in the District. Additionally, the U.S. Customs
Service (USCS) seized approximately 3.9 kilograms of cocaine on October 4,
2000, at Washington Dulles International Airport from a courier carrying
the drugs in a package labeled as deodorant foot powder. The package
originated in El Salvador, and the cocaine was destined for distribution
in the District. In May 2001 DEA arrested a number of members of an
African American criminal group that transported approximately 2 to 10
kilograms of cocaine weekly on commercial airlines from Los Angeles to
D.C. using couriers, primarily female. A former airline employee taught
the couriers how to avoid airline security.

Colombian and Dominican criminal groups are the dominant wholesale
distributors of cocaine in D.C. These criminal groups usually purchase
their supplies from Colombia-based DTOs that frequently transport the
cocaine shipments destined for D.C. from Colombia to areas such as New
York City, Philadelphia, Miami, and Los Angeles. However, Colombian DTOs
sometimes employ surrogates to distribute wholesale quantities of cocaine
directly to distributors in D.C. A surrogate is usually a family member or
lifelong associate of a D.C. resident, typically Colombian or Dominican,
whose purpose is to distribute wholesale quantities of cocaine to criminal
groups in the District.

Some members of Dominican criminal groups that are based outside the
city distribute wholesale quantities of cocaine in D.C. after establishing
full- or part-time residency in the District. These criminal groups
generally consist of distributors that have not been able to establish a
strong customer base in New York City, according to the DEA Washington
Division. One investigation revealed that couriers working for a Colombian
DTO in New York City or Philadelphia set up shop in a motel room or local
apartment in D.C. and distributed wholesale quantities of cocaine,
returning the proceeds to their suppliers. African American, Caucasian,
Chinese, Jamaican, Panamanian, Peruvian, and Salvadoran criminal groups,
among others, also distribute cocaine at the wholesale level, but to a
lesser extent. In addition, Mexican criminal groups in the Virginia
suburbs of the D.C. area have recently started to distribute wholesale
quantities of cocaine.

International Criminal Group Dismantled

In 2001 DEA New York seized 76 kilograms of cocaine and
arrested several members of a Colombian criminal group that
transported cocaine and heroin to D.C. and Northern Virginia in
private vehicles, usually in large trucks similar in size to
rental moving vans. This criminal group also controlled the
distribution of these drugs in both areas.

Source: DEA Washington Field
Division, Quarterly Trends in the Traffic, FY2001, Second
Quarter.

Colombian and Dominican criminal groups and other less dominant groups
supply local crews with powdered and crack cocaine. Crews, typically
African American or Hispanic, are the dominant retail distributors of
powdered and crack cocaine in the District. Crews frequently convert
powdered cocaine into crack before distributing it on the streets.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, at least 42 crews
distribute cocaine, although additional law enforcement reporting
indicates that the total number of crews may be significantly higher. (See
text box in Overview section.) These
crews distribute cocaine along with other drugs at open-air drug markets,
public housing projects, and on street corners. Powdered cocaine is also
sold in affluent communities. For instance, dealers distribute high-purity
cocaine to young and middle-age professionals in nightclubs, bars, and
offices, particularly in the Georgetown area.

Law enforcement reports indicate that a few individuals over 60 years
of age distribute cocaine in public housing projects occupied by senior
citizens in D.C. to supplement their incomes or to sustain drug habits.
Most of these dealers distribute smaller quantities than those distributed
by crews. They typically distribute the cocaine from their homes, although
some of these dealers distribute it on street corners. For example, an
82-year-old male who had been selling drugs illegally since he was 70 was
convicted for the third time in February 2001 and sentenced to 5 years in
prison for selling crack from his home in the Adams-Morgan area of
Northwest D.C. Police had seized 73 grams of crack and $3,740 in cash from
the man.

In April 2001 D.C. police began to arrive unannounced at
public housing complexes occupied by senior citizens. Law
enforcement officials used drug-detection dogs to search hallway
lighting fixtures, trash cans, bushes, fast-food bags, and other
items for drugs. The searches were unique in the nation, having
been requested by elderly residents of the complexes who wanted
to stop dealers from peddling crack and other drugs.